Improvement in knitting-machines



UNITED SrrrrE'sN PATENT EEroE.

THOMAS ORANE,'O'F FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN.

'IMPROVEMENT vIN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,697, dated January 28, 1868. v

VTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRANE, of 'Fort Atkinson, in the county of J eiferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented' certain new and usef'ul Improvements in Knitting Machinery; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying view of the spool around which the yarn is wound. Fig. 4 is a view of the'hooked device for setting up the work. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken in a vertical planethrough the machine complete.

Similar letters o"f referenceJ indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain novel im' provements on that class of knitting-machinery wherein the reciprocatinglatch-needles are employed in conjunction with a rectilinear reciprocating cam for moving the needles up to and from the work.

The invention provides for the use of a camplate for moving the needles, which is allowed to have an oscillating motion, and which is so arranged that any desired number of the needles can be moved forward with the work upon them, and held out of action, at pleasure. It also provides for attaching the handle by which the machine is operated directly to the cam-plate, so that this plate can be oscillated, and at the same-time moved back and forth over the needle-bed.

The invention also provides for the use of an adjustable jack-frame, which will admit of knitting as tight or as loose as may be desired; and also for the use of an adjustable work-holder, which is attached to the same adjusting device used for moving the jacks, as will be hereinafter described. j

The invention also provides a novel device for setting up the work at the commencement of the operation of knitting.

The invention also provides for the use of a spool for holding the yarn, and allowing it to be fed up as the work progresses.

,l The invention also provides for taking up the slack yarn as the yarn-carrier moves toward the center of the work, by means ot' a tension-spring or other suitable device applied to and moved with the said yarn-carrier, and acting `continuously upon the yarn so as to keep it under proper tension to insure good work, as will be hereinafter described. To enable others skilled inthe art to understand my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the frame ofthe machine, which is provided with clamping screws and jaws, `by means of which the machine can be secured fast to the edge of a table, A', or other established object. B represents the needle-bed, which is constructed with parallel grooves running transverselyacross its upper face, for the purpose of receiving and guiding the needles a. a, only four of which are shown. These needles may be constructed like the ordinary lmitting-needles hitherto used for machine knitting, with pivoted latches for casting off, and with right-angular shanks a', as shown in Figs. l and 5. These needles a pass under a longitudinal way, C, to which is attached the slide G1, carrying the yarn-distributer and tension device, as wi.l be hereinafter described. The needles a also pass between the jacks b b, over the Work-holding plate D, and beneath an inclined blade or latch-opener, E. (Shown ill Fig 1.)

The slide C1 is constructed so as to embrace and be held in place upon the way C, and to the front portion of this slide an arm, G2, projects outward and extends over the jacks, the work-holding plate, and also over the latchopener, as shown in Fig. 5. Between the latchopener E and the jacks b b a tube, c, projects from the arm G2, and extends nearly down to the plate D, leaving sufcient space beneath its lower end to allow the needles to play freely. This tube is designed for distributing the yarn upon the needles during its passage back and forth over them, so that the hooks on the needles will with certainty take the yarn thus laid upon them.

The yarn is taken from a spool, F, (shown in Figs. 3 and 5,) and which will be hereinafter described, and passed upward through a hole,

d, made through the arm O2, thence down through the distributing-tube c to the work. Between the iubec and the eye d 4the yarn is held under tension rby a spring, G,f (shownf i`ri Fig. 5,) one end of which issecure'd fast to the arm U2, and the other end is bent over .and provided with an eye or hook, G', through which the yarn passes, as shown. up spring G will keep the' loop of yarn between the dstributer and eye d under 'constant tension, and it will take up the slack as the yarn-carrier moves ytoward thecenter of the work from either side of the machine.

The needles are moved toward and from the work b y means of what I shall denominate an oscillating cam, which AI rhave'shown in Figs. 2 and 5.l This eam- H is constructed; with oblique grooves in its bottom side, terminating in inring rece'sses. The grooves 'ce are designed for receiving in. them the right-angular shanks a of the needles, so that at every strokeot' the cam-plate upon its needle-bed lB the needles will `be moved forward, receivethe 4 yarn, andthen caused to retreat and cast off the loops.

Strictly speaking, there is but one slot Iin the bottomfot'the cam-plate, which is constructed in the form of anobtuse angle, the angle being at, or nearly at, the point of oscillation of `said plate, as I have shown in Fig. Y2. For convenience in describing myjnvention I havefreferred to the cam-plate as having two slots,e e, in its face, meaning by this the two angles which the slot forms.

j This plate-H is pivoted by a stud, f, to a sliding plate or cam-carrier, I, which is guided and heldin proper position by its rear edge workin g in a ylongitudinal groove in the needlebed, as showuin Fig. '5'. Between the camplate H and the carrying-plate I, and secured rigidly to the former, is an arm, J, to the outer end of which a handle, J, is applied. The arm J passes outv through an oblong slot made through the back., ofthe plate I, the length lot'which slot will limit theextent of vibration of this arm, but allowr the cam-plate to be properly adjusted at every stroke ot this plate.

The front edge of the carrying-plate I has a short tongue, h, upon it, which is arranged between the embracing portions'of the slide G1, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to move this slide and its attachments longitudinally over the needles when'the plate I is similarly moved.

The front edge of the cam-plate H is sloped in two directions from the middle of the length of this plate, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the Shanks a. of the `needles .are moved forward out of range of the recesses leading to the slots e e, the needles will.` all be pressed forward out of operation.

In knitting-machines hitherto constructed it is usual to draw the Shanks of the needles back of or below the cams and cast on" the loops when it is desired to cease working any num ber of them, but byfmy improved arrangement, when it is desired to cease working a certain number of the needles, the shanks This .takethereof are v pushed above oirforward of the cam-plate, leaving the work upon the needles, and when itis desired tobring these needles into operation again they are drawn back far enough for theV cams to take-them, but not far enough to cast olf the loops.

The oscillation of the camp-plate at the termination of each stroke prevents the grooves e-e froml drawing the needles back, so as to cast oli` the loops, until they are passed up and have taken the yarn 'from the yarn car- `rier; it also prevents unnecessary friction upon `the shank of the needles, by moving the groove e, which-is not in labor, forward of the Shanks; The jacks b are applied to a longitudinal work-holding plate, D,.which is connected to the frame A by means of slots and pins, or otherwise, so that this plate, together with the jacks, can beadjusted toward and from the forward edge of the needle-bed B.

For the -purpose of making this adjustment the plate D'is suitably attached to the shaft K beneath the needle-bed, which shaft has an eccentric movement imparted to it by turning the crank-handle K. The work is held by the spurs which are on the edge ofthe plate D in front of thejacks, as shown in Fig. l. These spurs Vprevent the work from rising when the needles are moved. forward to receive the yarn.

The latch-opener E is a narrow strip of metal secured fast at both ends, and provided with y,

au adjusting-screw at one end, by which it can be tightened and kept tight. This strip E is inclined toward the jacks and elevated above the plate D. so as to allow the needles to pass below it. -'As thel hooked ends of .the

needles pass under theledge of the strip E, it will catch under the free on the needles and throw these latches back, so as to allow the needles iu a position to be caught by their hooks. Upon the upper side, and at or near one end of the cam-carrying'plate I, is a ratchet-connecting wheel, L, pivoted so that it will not casually turn backward, and applied to this wheel is a pointer, n, and also a spring-pawl, p, shown in Fig. 1. The pawl is suitably attached to the vibrating arm J, on which is the handle J', by chine is operated. Thus it will be seen that at every vibration of the handle J the wheel L will be moved a certain distance about its axis, which will be indicated by the hand n pointing at certain marks upon the wheel. By means of this wheel the number of vibrations of thecam-plate, and consequently the number of strokes of wound upon a iiangedspool, F, which is supported upon a table or other flat surface by means of short legs, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The yarn is passed from the circumference ofthe drum upon which it is wound, upward and down through the tube z', and through the center of the spool, to and around a stud, j; thence beneath the bottom ange of the spool ends ot' the latches yarn to be laid upon the which the'ma- .this plate across the needle-bed, will be registered. The yarn is y to the yarnearrier, as shown in Fig. 5, where it is acted upon by the tension-spring G, as above described.

Forthe purpose of setting the work upon the needles at the commencement of the operation of knitting, I employ the settingup device represented in Figs. 4 and 5, which consists of a dat plate terminating at its lower end in a hook or eye for receiving the hook which is attached to the weight W. The upper edge of the plate S is straight, and from this edge project a number of hooks, t t, which are arranged at suitable distances apart with reference to the distance apart of the needles a. rhe bent ends of these hooks are arranged in the direction of the length of the plate to which the hooks are secured, and said ends are so bent as to allow the needles to pass through them when arranged in proper position in front of the jacks. My setting-up device occupies less space between the jack and work-holder than others known to me, because the hooks turn parallel with the plate, and are not liable to catch on the work-holder, and seldom, if ever, fail to take all the loops, whereas the devices heretofore used are liable to catch and castoff loops, especially with an inexperienced hand; and, beside this, the numberof hooks required is greater than in my setting-up device.

The operation is as follows: The yarn is wound upon the spool F as evenly as possible, but not too tight.l The end of the yarn is passed through the center of the spool and carried off to the yarn-carrier, to which it is applied, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The operator seats himself near the machine, which should be clamped to a table, as described and shown, with his left side to the table and at the left-end ofthe machine. The cam-carriage is now moved to the right-hand end of the machine, and the end of the yarn passed through the yarn-carrier and drawn down below the workfholding plate D, through this plate. rlhe hooked settingfup device is held in the left hand and its hooks passed up in front of the jacks, the tops of the hooks bein g even with the tops ofthe jacks, and resting against them, so that the needles can pass through them. With the right hand the camcarriage is moved across the needle-bed to the left-hand side of the machine, thus causing the needles to move up, take the yarn, and return to their former positions. The set-up device is then drawn down, so that the hooks will be beneath the plate D and held by the weight W, which will hold the work down.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Mechanism, substantially as described, for allowing the cam-plate by which the needles are moved to have au oscillating motion, substantially as described.

2. Mechanism, substantially as described, for the adjustment of the needles in front of the cam-plate H, when it is desired to throw some or all of the needles out of action, substan tially as described.

'3. The attachment of the arm J, or its equivalent, directly to an oscillating cam-plate, H, which is provided with a pivot, f, about which it moves, substantially as described.

4. The combination of an adjustable workholder, D, and an adjustable jack, substantially as described.

5. The spool or yarn-holder F, with the tube I, or the equivalent thereof, constructed to operate substantially asdescribed.

6. The bow-spring G, applied to the reciprocating perforated arm G2 in such manner as to litt the yarn between the two passages o d on its way from the spool to the work, said spring being so constructed as to keep an even tension upon the yarn with little or no friction, substantially as described.

7. A setting-up device, S t, constructed with its hooks t, ali arranged in the direction ofthe length of the plate S, as shown and described.

- THOMAS CRANE.

Witnesses:

N. F. HoPKrNs, S. BOURNER. 

